Sunday, December 24, 2017

Entry-level PCs in this campaign will fit within one of four categories that determine the method of character generation:

Tower Dweller, upper-class Booezorian with wealth and connections, rolls 3d6 six times in order for stats, has 1d3+1 City Confidants, 1d4+1 Wealth Points, has normal starting money and possessions plus an additional 300gp “pocket money”, and rolls HP every level.

Citizen, a life-long city denizen of no importance, rolls 3d6 six times and assigns for stats, has one City Confidant, OR one Wealth Point, has normal starting money and possessions, and may choose average HP each level.

Wildlander, one who comes from outside the city, from the monster villages and the fief-farms, or a traveller from somewhere across the continent, or one of the true primals a wanderer of the wilds... rolls 4d6, discards the lowest, and assigns for stats; has proficiency in an additional nature-based skill, OR has one Wilds Confidant, OR gets max HP for 1st level; may choose average HP each level.

Outlander/Exotic, those who hail from another world and have become trapped here: standard characters (human, elf, dwarf, goblin, orc, half-whatever) = rolls 3d6 seven times, drops the lowest value, and assigns for stats; has against all odds one City Confidant (always another Exotic), OR a minor magical item; non-standard characters are case-by-case negotiations with your DM.

Wealth Points can be “spent” for large sums of money, or retained as functional status. To get into the first of the retricted tiers of the city one must retain at least one Wealth Point.

City Confidants are NPCs that a character has a positive relationship with, who will provide assistance, and grow in usefulness and loyalty if nurtured.

Wilds Confidants are as city ones but tend to be more useful since they are harder to interact with.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

There is a megadungeon beneath the Magic City of Booezor that stretches down through the Sculpted Mountain and deep into the earth below. It is unknown for how many levels the structure continues underground, but there are six entry points and each is a dungeon of its own: a giant magnetic termite mound, the sewer system, the tomb of the mountain's heart, the magically accelerated dumping grounds, the moonmetal mine, and the partially physical prison space the Labrynthyne.

Booezor is divided into eight "tiers", the first three are accessible to anyone (like 1st level PCs), while the other five are unlocked by amassing wealth or otherwise raising your social station:

The Weave, a
hanging shantytown and scattered caves hung from the side of the
sculpted mountain, difficult to get to, many entrances exist not
considered part of the city proper.

Bottomshelf /
Beastmile, lower cliff villages each with their own name,
difficult to get to, many entrances exist, not considered part of the
city proper, and the city's external animal market, a town in itself.

Fruitbasket / Waspnest
/ the Sprawl, the lowest main level of the city, street after
street of markets, shops, residences, taverns, lodging, and assorted
frantic industry.

Secondmarket /
Cindiband, the higher classed and more specialized markets and
shops are here, the residences higher, the entertainment more
elaborate.

Stoneforest,
bridge-connected highspires house the super-rich, the mage elite, and their clustered entertainments.

Precious Pillars,
the highest and most improbable towers belong to the most venerable
Children, unaligned magi, and the ultra-rich (1%).

The Egg, a
permanent physical extrusion, made of pure magic, of a vast
extradimensional space that serves as the campus of the Children.
Truly there is a palace within
the space the Egg describes.

So I need to continue to work on Booezor enough to comfortably run it without getting completely carried away. A bunch of boring work is done, tentative tables of item, armor, and weapon prices and which tiers of the city they are available in. Started a table for animal prices. Got an easy d100 table of types of buildings in the city. And I am waist deep in a d100 table of city rumors and another of specific NPCs, which are super cool. Oh, and this fun motivation table:

d20
Reasons to Seek the Depths

1 you seek an
ancestor's spirit trapped within a soul crystal you will know by
touch, such crystals were popular in ages past, and are found in the deeper areas.

2 you seek to confront
a specific powerful undead creature, whom you have a (personal) connection to,
and who lairs in the deepest depths.

3 you seek the water at
the source of the Haelix, one of the twin rivers that flow beneath
the city, whose current flows in an upward spiral.

4 you seek the land of
the subterranean sea fed by the mouth of the Xeeres, one of the twin
rivers that flow beneath the city, whose current flows in a downward
spiral.

5 you seek to recapture
seven unbound demons, who have installed themselves as lords of the
deeper dungeon.

6 you seek access to
the insane civilizations and beings of the 'Veins of the Earth',
which can be found through the lowest levels of the megadungeon.

7 you seek to purge the
various “cancers” of the depths, clearing held and wild areas in
the name of Tyrant or Immacula.

8 you seek the
“fortune” you feared to seek till now, the ambiguous prediction
that your fate would be found in the depths.

9 you seek ancient
magic secrets of the Shem, who first raised Booezor as a hive
countless ages ago.

10 you seek the
unplundered riches of the deepest depths, it's the only way to
finance your impossible dream.

11 you seek one of the
missing pieces of the sky for capricious Se’vensaera, broken and
hidden ages ago deep beneath the earth.

12 you seek the
Inverted Throne that is rumored to sit at the lowest point of the
megadungeon, anyone who sits upon it will be made a great ruler.

13 you seek the prize
of a noble Treasure Hunt, the mad singular desire of those who need
never try for themselves.

14 you seek the
archancient technological secrets of the Tenzoril, many believe the
deeper megadungeon to be one of their creations.

15 you seek a stable
gate to other worlds hidden in the lowest levels of the megadungeon.

16 you seek to consume
the heart of a Dragon of the Source, one of which sleeps far beneath
the city.

17 you seek the
valuable secrets of the megadungeon's structure, inhabitants, and
layout to sell, share, or hoard.

18 you seek the truth
of your hazy past, and bizarre recurring dreams you are sure point
deep below the city.

19 you seek an audience
with the Naudde, the Goddess of Mysteries herself, you will find her
avatar beyond many labyrinths, deep underground.

20 you seek to delve
deeper than has any other, you seek fame and singularity,
immortality in legend and influence.

Back soon with those tasty d100 rumor and npc tables... or something, you never know.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The fourth in my series of d100 random encounters tables for terrain type for the Furthest Lands continent, brings us to deserts. Water use, exposure to heat, and to the cold of night are the greatest problems in any desert, but owl wizards, leucrotta, and hierarchies of sandworms will keep those deaths interesting. The largest and most important desert on continent is the Tomada Yoma, the great western expanse, hundreds of miles in any direction, which still has a civilized center in the Great Temple of Tauk Toma. There are also many smaller deserts, scattered across the lands, several in the inhospitable region called "Centerscar", which tend to have dangerous magical/environmental quirks particular to each.

03 Tower
Owl – an owl sorcerer-sage that lives in the hollow top of an giant
enchanted cactus. Man-sized, but wide and heavy for a bird. The owl
can operate the cactus as a golem by serving as its “face”. The
cactus regenerates, alters its form and size, throws needles, and
manufactures a host of dangerous chemicals to coat them.

04-05 Suitable
Elemental ( Earth/Sandstorm/Wind/Fire )

06-07 (Greater)
Leucrotta – superficially it resembles a large antelope: small fine
head, long neck, sleek torso, and long hooved legs. On closer
inspection, a wretched monster: mad red and yellow eyes, matted fur,
and a mouth that continues all the way down the neck to the torso.
The leucrotta's secret maw is filled with row after row of teeth, and
the source of the beast's near-magical vocal mimicry, numerous
tongues.

12-13 Hurry
Ants – pony-sized, stilt-legged ants that burst from the sand and
dash about, madly killing and dismembering prey before dragging the
pieces underground. Their exoskeleton is thermochromic, it cycles
from cold black, through blue and purple, to warm red and orange, to
hot yellow and white within a few minutes of emerging on the surface
(AC goes down throughout cycle). Their bodies explode 20 seconds
after turning white hot, showering the area with molten clumps of
exoskeletal goo and chemically activated combustible blood. The ants
will occasionally force their own explosive deaths, to cover their
retreat or counter dangerous opponents, but in general are in a
“hurry” to escape the sun.

14-15 Giant
Rattlesnake – arguably the most dangerous of all the vocal snakes,
rattlesnakes are typified by their great paranoia. Highly
intelligent, desperately fearful, and brutally venomous, they are
best avoided.

16-17 Mirage

of
(1d6)

1.
Oasis

2.
Orchard

3.
Temple

4.
Caravan

5.
Isolated Low-Hanging Rain Cloud

6.
Bright Light

Hiding
(1d4)

1.
Nothing

2.
Monster

3.
Trap

4.
Treasure

18-19 Ultrachiroptera
Flock – the giant bats of the desert night, large enough to bear a
man as prey or rider. 70% carnivorous, 30% nectivorous.

36-37 Obelisk
– a statuary monster from an ancient civilization, some break into
pieces or twist into a mobile shape, some remain in their original
form and function like a turret or a roper monster.

38-41 Glyptodon
Herd – herbivorous giant mammals with armored shells and bony,
clubbed tails. Often domesticated by the umash, they produce milk,
make slow but steady pack beasts, and every bit of one's corpse is
useful.

42-43 Shard
Leech Scree - razor-edged stones used as the shell of a land mollusc,
4"-14". Hide in areas of loose rock waiting for man size or
larger prey, throw themselves en masse at a target, pierce flesh and
release a mild paralytic venom, drink their fill of blood, fall out
of the target, and move away from the remains.

44-45 Thirsty
Wind – a day-long weather change, no cloud cover with extremely hot
and unnaturally dry winds. Water use is doubled, exhausted npcs and
animals may die outright. A thirsty wind always blows against the
party's goal.

48-51 Umash
Group (1d6) - the baboon-faced race of the Tomada Yoma.1.
Dervishes2. Hunters3. Trading Group4. Elementalists5.
Priests of the Sisters of Mysteries6. Common Nomads

52-53 Solar
Dimetrodon – this large species of dimetrodon is capable of storing
solar energy in its iridescent sail as it basks, then releasing this
energy as a ray or wave shaped attack. Other dimetrodon affected by
an energy discharge will be hasted for 1d6 rounds and heal half the
attack's damage. They receive some nourishment through solar energy,
but pursue living prey of a certain size whenever possible.

62-63 Sandworm
– a two to six meter, vibration-sensitive, predatory worm.

64-65 Sandwormother
– a slow moving, colossal, swollen sandworm, covered in a thick
pink waxy cuticle. The mother worm is constantly laying eggs, even as
it moves, even as it sleeps, even after death (for a bit). Eggs hatch
quickly, and the speedy arm-length wormlettes hurry back to hide in
the mother's mouth. The young are only occasionally disgorged to
attack and feed for themselves, if this occurs the mother will avoid
attacking the young's targets.

66-67 Sandfather
– fifty feet long and covered in armored scutes, the rapid-moving
sandfather worm ranges the desert, searching for prey and
unfertilized females with its array of eversible head organs. Two of
these surprising tentacle shaped appendages are coated in caustic
chemicals.

68-69 MutantTroll Pack - slightly undersized trolls that mutate as they
regenerate. Each has one additional mutation when encountered and is
twice as hungry. During regeneration of massive damage they can fuse
together into larger abominations or break into smaller, independent,
ruined parts.

70-71 Suitable
Nature Spirit (1d4)

1.
Starvation Spirit – a possessing spirit that forces its host to an
artificial brink of

starvation,
and holds them there.They
will not be satisfied by any amount of food,

and will
not starve to death. However, the host will behave as if it must find
food now

or die,
eating all available rations, tiny animals, and... left alone with
another person,

they
will attempt to murder and cannibalize them.

2.
Erosion Spirit – its whisper can be heard in stirring sand and
curling around wind

eaten
rocks, it wants to make everything dust, but isn't greedy, it likes
to destroy a bit

at a
time. Appease it with something interesting to nibble, or it will
eats holes in you

and your
things, or strip layers from something (layers like skin). The more
artificial the

offering,
the better.

3.
Plague Spirit – a possessing spirit that makes a creature into a
asymptomatic carrier of an

awful illness.

4.
Sun Spirit – appears as tricks of light, suggestive afterimages of
thin partial humanoids, impossible to see from a distance. Curious
and cruel, they will lead the way to dangerous mirages, evaporate
exposed water in seconds, and their touch causes heat madness.

72 Dune
Dragon – the longer the dragons of the endless sands live, the more
time they spend asleep, sand collecting on their serpent bodies. They
are often irritable, bleary, confusing fantasy with reality. They
control the weather, and their breath is a storm of sands that tears,
or a cloud of dust that lulls to sleep. There is always a cavern
filled with drinkable water beneath a sleeping dune dragon.

73-74 Archaeotherium
(carnivorous boar) – a ravenous omnivorous beast, like a monstrous
boar with long legs and a huge head. Simple and single minded with an
amazing olfactory sense.

75-76 Giant
Antlion (Funneller/Doodlebeast) – the L-G sized predatory larva of
an unknown insect. The giant antlion buries its body in loose sand
and creates a funnel trap, where it lies in wait for prey.
Doodlebeasts have been known to hurl rains of sand, spray caustic
acids, and create tremors in the ground.

77-78 Dust
Skeleton – the countless dead of the desert, now skeletons made of
sand and bone dust. When defeated they reform in 1d100 hours, but can
be permanently destroyed with a “mouthful” of water.

81-82 Scopophobic
Cacti – approach blooded creatures at a rapid pace, as long as
nothing watches them. “Strike” by pressing themselves against
their targets and draining the water from their blood with wicked
needles.

83 Elder'lisk
(True Basilisk) - gigantic, slow as stone, fast as a rock slide, the
elder'lisk perched atop its heap of broken statues, the evilest eye.
A thin tall body, six to ten spindly legs, and two independently
moving eyes. Reflecting the creature's gaze will turn just one eye to
stone. This basilisk can move silently on its split-toed padded feet,
and climbs sheer surfaces with ease.

84-85 Hungry
Ghost – ghosts desperate for your water, your food, your breath,
your blood. Younger ghosts use their lives' knowledge to deceive and
confuse, while the ghosts who have wandered hundreds of years or more
are ravening spectres without a trace of personhood left, they will
claw what they need from you
without hesitation.

86-87 Giant
Vulture Kettle – the party begins to be followed by great vultures
who patiently wait for exhaustion or grievous wounds, their presence
increases the likelihood of encounters by 20%.

88-89 Weird
Water Source (1d6)

1.
Sipping Succulent – a branching succulent whose swollen leaves can
be carefully plucked and drunk like little juice boxes up to two
weeks later. The liquid is light, refreshing, and mostly flavorless,
though it has a slightly medicinal aftertaste. Mildly promote healing
when poured on wounds or infected areas.

2.
Keg Cactus – a squat, yellow-green, long-needled cactus filled with
a great reserve of clear watery liquid within its thick skin. The
liquid is mildly alcoholic, but just as hydrating as real water.
Living on keg cactus juice only for three days will render a person
completely and constantly drunk until they drink something else for
three days.

3.
Water Melons – delicious watery underground melons 6” to 18”
across, keep for a few weeks after picked. If they are opened and the
juices stored in other containers, the odor will often attract
certain insects and larger animals.

4.
Sand Cucumbers (Piss Grubs) – tube shaped underground animals about
a foot long. Pinched and stroked in a certain way the creature will
squirt out its stored water supply, which can be up to three days
worth of water. Cucumbers can be eaten, though they taste pretty
awful and will immediately poison their water stores when injured.

5.
Voilumpf - sized between camels and giraffes, six long thin legs, a
long neck with a small, nearly eyeless head, feathered antennae, and
a complicated folding proboscis, and an inflatable sack of rubbery
skin on its back. These docile, dull-witted creatures eat
moisture-rich plants and fungi deep underground and store the excess
water in their back sack. Rangers know the animals will violently
resist attack, but a person can “tap” their sack for its water
and they will take little notice. Sack water is identical to normal
well water, just very slightly... pork flavored. Can be ridden, but
their food is unsustainable outside the desert. Their liver is the
only worthwhile meat on their body.

6.
Spider Cups – a white, grape-sized spider will spin a cup shaped
web with a cover within a hole in the sand. The webbing is water
repellent and the spider uses the water filled cup as a lure for
prey. A person can scoop spider cups out of the sand to take away
easily, but they are fragile. The spiders are not dangerous.

90-91 Dune
Ghuul – cannibalistic degenerates of various original races that roam the open desert at
night, their life or undeath status up for debate. Their touch is paralytic (of course) and their anguished howls terrify the weak.

92-93 Swimming
Sword – a blade-like cousin of the bulette, long and rigid-bodied,
can potentially be tamed and used as a mount. 30% chance of being
encountered with its immature form, the Severfish. The young
specifically attempt with their bladed bodies to amputate digits and
limbs for their own consumption.

94-95 Dromiceioseismos
Herd - huge (50') flightless birds, non-hostile but dangerous if
harassed. Sometimes attract the largest of predators to an area.

96-97 Strange
Sands (1d10)

1.
Mandala Sands – sand that changes color when shifted. Tracks are
usually easy to spot and follow, though the vistas can muddle the
mind or sicken the stomach.

2.
Sandsea – liquid sand that functions almost like water. Normal
water vessels will not function properly, if at all.

5.
Living Sand – essentially low functioning nanomachines, able to
assume one large high-functioning form, or many smaller
lower-functioning forms. Some say these are the eroded remains of
once mighty ancient golems.

6.
Sand Garden – a jungle,
orchard, or topiary garden formed of sand. May form only during the
day, night, or a particular season, etc.

98-99 Gunmen –
radial bodied sand dwelling creatures with a primitive intelligence.
They are aggressive, territorial, known to eat anything and anyone,
and steal whatever supplies are available (a few have been known to
trade). Gunmen or Stars, have a puck shaped body about 2' in diameter
ringed with 3-5 rubbery arms each tipped with 3-5 retractable
fingers. One flat side of the creature's body is its “face”,
disconcerting to most races as it is composed of recognizable
features scattered randomly across the surface: an eye here, a
nostril here, a mouth? an ear? Each is different from another, but
all have at least one eye and a single mouth, which serves both ends
of the beast's digestive system. Gunmen create weapons and clothing
for themselves, shoddily constructed and made for a strange
physiology they are nearly useless to other races.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

"The rough stone stairs emerge on the third story of the red rock formation the little village was carved from. A flock of small white birds is scattered across the upward-sloping stone, gathered about a natural platform on the far side. Upon the raised stone, gazing out across the valley with its three crystal blue eyes is a giant white cat, eight feet tall at the shoulder. Its body or fur glows a soft yellow white, you would still see it perfectly in any normal darkness. Three sets of feathered wings beat upon its back, constantly stretching and rearranging themselves, its neck is greatly elongated, as well as its limbs and body. The face looks like a beautiful, though unsettling mix of human and Siamese cat, with a tiny split-lipped mouth and its three unreal eyes. When it speaks, it does in a childlike voice with a telepathic 'echo', relaxed and with great self-satisfaction. It is one of the most beautiful creatures you have ever seen, it smells of honey and cinnamon, its purr is a syrupy joy that tickles your spine, just being near it makes you feel good."

Traesasymphicon, Sasym as it calls itself, is an entity from the wider vibrational planes. Dimensions mortals often call Upper Planes, where as you "ascend" through them, the energies that compose beings are more diffuse, and the divisions between creatures become more and more ambiguous. The amalgamous being Sasym is a lower mid-level extrusion, a nunciomorph that excels at maintaining a consistent form and identity in the "Material Plane".
The Furthest Lands continent is a kind of dimensional sink, it seems to pull destination portals to itself. This means while it can be easy to travel to, it is incredibly difficult to travel away from. Like many other, more mundane creatures, Sasym has become trapped here. Its natural gate power only moves it randomly within the continent, not through the membranes of reality. Its Celestial Song could surely draw the attention of its Greater Family, but if others came and were trapped as well... it could never bear the guilt. (stop reading if you are my player) Last, Sasym's existence is fueled by a form of energy that exists in this plane in much shorter supply, energy it has only found produced by the love and adoration of followers it has acquired in starving desperation. This messenger was never meant to be away for so long.
Now, a small cult has grown around Sasym in a great rock formation that has become a hidden village. Three families of 'iele' raise their children, do their hunting and farming in the shadow of the rock called CragDen. A dozen or so others gravitated here or lost their caravans and were guided back by luck or Sasym. Here in the sheltered valley that lies before the den, massive ravening beasts and cruel nature spirits are few under its near-constant vigilance and benign influence. This is no novel occurrence on a continent where seeking symbiosis with a powerful creature is one of the top survival strategies, "monster villages" are fairly common.
N'gael, the demon artificer has found his floating, planeshifting tower stalled in the Cnacociel region to the northwest, and the two otherworldly creatures have found themselves in an uneasy relationship.

Monday, June 26, 2017

The third in my series of d100 random encounter tables by terrain type for the Furthest Lands continent, this time swamps and marshlands. Plains/grasslands, and forest/jungle were the other two, and there are at least seven (not counting the *Special* table) more in various stages of completion. Ideally I would've spaced out swamp and jungle more, but I needed to get the swamp list finished to head off some players.

03-04 Catoblepas
– the body of an emaciated water buffalo, the lumpen head of a
warthog on a shaggy giraffe neck. The catoblepas kills any creature
that meets its eyes, and poisons the area around it. All the food it
eats is rotten and ruined, and it remains hungry at all times. Some
enjoy submerging their bodies in deep water, letting their massive
heads float on the surface, found this way they are incredibly
dangerous. Milk and live animals are quite valuable. It is said
that if a catoblepas could be fed from an early age food that
wouldn't rot, it would mature into a beast of another nature.

07-08 Tanystropheus
– crocodile-sized, low-bodied reptiles with long stiff necks. Fish
and bird eaters, will attack a person only territorially, in
self-defense, or desperation.

09-10 Marsh
Squirterhorse Family – well camouflaged dog-sized seahorse-like
fish, uses their blowgun snouts in the manner of a deadly archerfish.
Fires a spray of acid and enzymes that slowly consume metal, quickly
consume organic material, and has no effect on stone.

33-34 Lanternhulk
– a bag-like creature, like a great toothless mouth, large as a
room, its slug-like foot an anchor buried beneath the surface.
Draped in plants, filth, and natural illusions it can resemble a cave
if it wishes to hunt during the day. At night the Lanternhulk earns
its name, displaying various forms of bioluminescence, lights within
its mouth, lights on mobile tendrils, as well as floating biomagical
light effects. Prey that enters the creature's mouth is enfolded,
sometimes suffocated, sometimes drugged, eventually dissolved.

35-36 Bear-frog
– a head and powerful forelimbs reminiscent of a bear, partly
furred, with the elongated leaping back legs of a frog. Unlike the
famous Owlbear, the Bear-frog is a “natural” animal, though it
shares the Owlbear's preference for attacking magic-users.

39-41 Otyugh
(single/pair) – the Wretched Sages, the repulsive and often
murderously hungry otyughs are common in the swamps, where they dine
on and bathe in decaying matter. Because they are in constant
telepathic communication with every being they encounter, and despite
their poor intelligence, they are sought out occasionally for the
wisdom of fools. Otyughs in pairs are engaged in philosophical
argument and are eager for outside input... or a quick snack.

49-50 Brown
Pudding – this gelatinous creature will consume any organic
material, but vastly prefers larger living prey, for this reason they
are often encountered semi-dormant in “pudding pits”, their
orifices concentrating downward, slowly dissolving the decaying
matter beneath them, but will form up and become mobile after a round
or two.

51-53 Naga
- the “oldest masters”, they are selfish, secretive, and
suspicious. They can be civilized folk, cold-blooded killers, slave
takers, or enigmatic guardians, depending on the day. The Naga have
their own small city-temples, but they are not fond of each other's
company.

54-55 Dark
Banyan – a strangled treant, completely dominated by the parasitic
magical fig vine that took epiphytic root in its body. A wooden
tentacled mass capable of cruel nature magics, and the control of
other ill-willed vegetable creatures (Ollgrad, Boskbeasts in
particular).

58 Vampiric
Moss – inanimate hanging moss that drains the lifeforce of a nearby
creature after establishing a link, consumes a set amount of hp, and
loses link when victim leaves its 30' area of effect.

59-60 Giant
Water Beetle – an eight foot predatory water (diving) beetle,
ambushes prey at the water's surface, or attacks underwater. May
create a “pen” of trapped air to preserve live creatures
underwater.

61-62 MutantTroll Pack - slightly undersized trolls that mutate as they
regenerate. Amphibious, regenerate slightly faster than those of
other terrain. During regeneration of massive damage they can fuse
together into larger abominations or break into smaller, independent,
ruined parts.

63-64 Ollgrad
- small, bloodthirsty (literally) root people.

65-66 Giant
Leech – three to ten foot long leeches, potentially deadly, more
difficult to remove, and much more likely to transmit a blood born
disease than normal leeches.

67-68 Suitable
Nature Spirit 1. Phlebeth - like a Kappa, keeps its mouth full
of water to remain strong on land. Can adopt the shape of a person,
but is always wet and silent. 2. Sclarrianth – an attendant
spirit of Skraosh the goddess of evolution, an amorphous entity with
a will and strength to bestow a mutation, create a new species,
bestow one of the lycanthropic raptures, or create a chaos blessed
area. The Sclarrianth can be argued with and guided in its gift
giving to a certain extent, but must give and expire in the
process. 3. Mucugulob – this spirit attaches itself to a
creature transforming it to a locus of disease and decay, slowly
kills host who eventually becomes a powerful cursed undead, infects
others with rotting and wasting illnesses. Appears to host
initially as an almost pokemon-like stylized semi-real animal. 4.
Waiwie "Tilted Scale" (Chaos Spirit) - from a distance a
glowing dragonfly, closer just branching luminous nerves. A spirit
that takes/erases elements of law and society from an individual and
replaces them with natural elements (Example: the Waiwei steals your
money and replaces it with meat or seeds, or maybe erases the
Fasinaa language from your mind and replaces it with the tongue of
flowers or birds).

69 Mud
Dragon – fat-bodied amphibious dragons, wingless and scaleless,
with weak tiny eyes and round, toothless jaws, a dragon that looks
like a catfish and a salamander. Mud dragons are slow and stubborn,
they spend much of their time asleep buried beneath mulch and silt
and clay and brackish water, slowly eating, chewing, and digesting
vast mouthfuls of earth, and rendering it into thick gooey mud. The
thick mud is the dragon's “breath weapon”, victims of failed
saves are mostly/completely buried in mud, others in area slimed,
additional 'stinking cloud' effect.

82-83 Sonihadrosaur
(pair/herd) - mid-sized (for hadrosaurs) duck-billed dinosaurs with
an elaborate fluted crest on their heads. Adults inflate their
resonating crests to release a Sonic Honk in a 100' cone every few
rounds. Fiercely protective of non-sonic young and nesting sites.
Can be subdued by "banding” the crest, binding it with a
leather belt or metal band.

84-85 Cleaverclaw
Crab – a giant marsh crab, big as a one-family hut, males have one
tremendous limb-severing claw. Another animal attracted to the
glints of metal, glass and other fine materials that it tears to
shreds in front of its lair, hoping to attract the attention of
bauble-draped females, who have two smaller claws, just as sharp.

86 Swamp
(Green) Hag – not a woman, not 'iele', misshapen and deranged,
less evil and more dangerously other, a hag is more npc than monster,
but more spirit than mortal. There may be a hag for every swamp, a
swamp for every hag. Each one is completely different from the next,
still they claim sorority with every other.

87-88 Cloak
Stalker – a huge bird, resembling in general form a great crane,
twice the size of , its plumage many difficult to discern dark
colors, its wings are covered in overlong feathers that it holds
loosely around its body like a cloak, its bright and tiny eyes purple
and orange. The stalker may follow its prey through the marshes for
weeks, waiting for a perfect time to strike, it is highly intelligent
and possessed of old magics of illusion, obfuscation, and trickery.

89-90 Goo
Basilisk (Jellilisk) – larger than a normal basilisk, The gaze of
the dreaded basilisk of the swamplands turns its victim to living
ooze. Try turning your friend back from that! The Jellilisk is one
of the favored familiars of the greater Jellementalists, and their
eyes a key ingredient in the manufacture of ioun slimes.

91-92 Swamp
Crocodile – a long-limbed prehistoric crocodilian that excels in
the broken, varied terrain of the marshes, equally at home darting
through murky water as running and leaping across the mud and roots.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Potions are cool. You give them out, they get used, they're gone. Plus they break easy, they interact with each other... there's so much capacity for chaos in the hyper-magic fluid you have rammed in your fanny pack.

I wanted to make myself a big list of potions for my own use, so I ganked a whole bunch from Goblin Punch. He already wrote up most of the potions someone would need in the most sensible way I can conceive writing them. So I stole that too... but that's what we're here for right? When the stealing was done, and the obvious spectrum of healing potions were added to the list, I still needed to write up a few dozen of my own potions, so here those are in GP style, to enhance and completely ruin your pcs' lives (particularly if they're the sampling types). Drink up!

32 Potions

1 – Animal Friendship
– at will 'Animal Friendship' spell (DC 13) for one hour. Looks
like fur or feathers. Smells like droppings or guano. A
small sip makes a bird sing overhead, a squirrel dart past, or fish
leap out of water.

3 – Mind Reading
- Gain the effects of 'Detect Thoughts' (DC 13). Looks
like dense purple liquid with a cloud of pink in the center. Smells
like eucalyptus and rain. A
small sip imparts an (obvious) emotional echo from a party member.

4 – Inebriation
- Anyone who drinks even half of this potion becomes catastrophically
drunk (-4 to everything) for six hours. Three hours of splitting
headaches persist afterward (-2 concentration, intelligence checks,
initiative). Looks like
red-gold liquor. Smells like a dead cat. A
small sip gets you insta-buzzed.

5 – Secret Serpent Tongue
- You get a +4 to charisma checks for one hour. Looks
like sparkling gray and blue sand in water. Smells like egg yolk. A
small sip makes someone nearby give you an innocent compliment.

6 – Liquid Illusion
- If you drink it, you will believe the most horrible thing you can
think of is growing in your stomach and going to soon kill you. This
is false, there is no further danger, and lasts six hours. If poured
out, it exists as a semi-solid smoke or phlegm that forms into a
crude monster shape of your choice. The smoke-phlegm creature mock
attacks a target of your choice for one turn. It seems to be damaged
by weapons and non-bite attacks, but cannot be hurt. A creature
biting the decoy must make a constitution save or be choked to death,
it will then discorporate. Looks
like roiling green-black smoke. Smells like a cellar or cave.
A small sip will give you deja vu.

7
– Antimagic Water
- Cancels all spells affecting you and suspends and magical constant
effects natural to you or emanating from your person if consumed.
Makes you immune to lasting magical effects for the duration and save
against other spells at +2. Lasts 1d6 hours, then you shit out all
your magic gut bacteria for an hour and save against magic at -1 for
a week. Dispels magic if poured onto objects. If poured over
yourself, makes you immune to all magic, in addition to the consumed
effects with a duration of 1d6 turns (10% chance of magic rash
setting in 1d4 weeks afterward). Looks
like water. Illusions cannot be seen through its transparent liquid
(effectively a seriously distorted 'True Seeing' lens). Smells like
bleach doughnuts. A
small sip makes a random magical effect on yourself to “flicker”.

8 – Oil of Fiery Burning
- Impossible to drink. Deals 1d4 damage to anyone opening, then
dexterity check to close or it explodes. 6d6 damage on explosion or
thrown impact (dexterity save for half damage). Looks
like iridescent molasses. Smells like - it's on fire! A
small sip is nearly impossible and completely insane.

9 – Insight of the Center
Eye - You get a +4 to
wisdom checks for 1d6 turns. If you use wisdom for spells you may
cast one spell without using a slot, of spell level no higher than
half your character level. Looks
like a nebulous, blue-black, star-dusted sky. Smells like heavy,
bitter incense. A
small sip makes you remember something important a mentor, or parent
imparted to you long ago.

10 – Epiphany Philter
- You get a +4 to intelligence checks for one 1d6 turns. If you use
intelligence for spells you may cast one spell without using a slot,
of spell level no higher than half your character level. Looks
like cloudy gray fluid with something softly glowing obscured in the
center. Smells like ozone. A
small sip gives you a great idea about something that is no longer
pertinent.

11 – Rubber Soul
- You become rubbery in body and spirit, your joints seem to move
oddly and your skin seems shinier. All ranged physical and magical
attacks against you bounce off and affect the attacker 25%, or
another random individual otherwise. Close range attacks of either
type always ricochet back at the attacker. You can fit yourself
through spaces as if you were one size category smaller. Your melee
attacks deal -2 damage each, while your ranged attacks deal +2 damage
each. Lasts 1d8 rounds. Looks
like opaque, pink and fibrous like erasers. Smells like moist grass.
A
small sip makes your tongue rubbery, bouncing off your teeth and the
roof of your mouth. You talk like a drunk or someone on Novocaine
for a few minutes.

12 – The Gateway
- Unless you have prepared yourself with fasting and meditation
beforehand, you will spend 1d4 hours madly feverish and violently
vomiting, all your stats are -3 for 1d6 days. When you peak four
hours in, you are projected into the astral plane via an ineffably
ancient dream structure. You will not pass unless you defeat,
impress, or bargain with the ur-beast guardian
spirit/archetype/demon/whatevs. The guardian cannot kill your body,
but can reduce you to a permanent comatose state if it “kills”
you in the astral. Those injured by the guardian must succeed a
wisdom save when they exit to the material plane or take 1d4-1
permanent intelligence damage (minimum 1). Looks
like murky orange-brown tea or juice. Smells like the breath of a
great predatory beast. A
small sip tastes like rotten bark, coffee, and shit. The next time
you sleep you will dream of the guardian who mocks your indecision,
and begins to consume you before you wake. You are now afraid of the
potion, the guardian, and the gateway: you are ever aware of the
potion if it is within 50', and without special compensation any
attempt you make to battle the guardian is at -2.

13 – Stench
- Your every secretion become a pungent and overwhelming 'Stinking
Cloud' effect centered on you. You are immune to your own
secretions. Last for 1d4 hours, much less if you drink a lot of
water, wine or beer. Doubles wandering monster frequency for
duration. Throw to create a 'Stinking Cloud' where it breaks. Looks
like layers of yellow, green, and brown silt or smoke. Smells like a
kind of sulfuric-grandma-maggotflesh-dysentery-henhouse-landfill –
before your brain cuts the connection to your nose to spare you
(can't smell or taste for 1d6 turns). A
small sip makes you repulsively flatulent or gives you awful BO for
one turn.

14 – Sterility
- You become permanently unable to have children. No effect on
immature creatures. Looks
like opaque red globs suspended in clear yellow fluid. Smells like
alcohol and semen. A
small sip tastes like sweat and bad wine, and makes your testicles or
ovaries ache briefly if you are able to breed.

15 – Demon Blood
- If you succeed a save (wisdom, spell) you acquire a demonic power
or attribute (regeneration, at will power, great strength, etc.) for
incorporating the blood into your own, but you are forever marked
with an unnatural taint. If you fail the save a greater demon begins
to manifest within you and will eventually consume your body and
spirit as it reforms its own. Looks
like brown-black silt at the bottom, a layer of dark red sludge,
topped with a layer of bubbling red. Smells like sulfur and split
carcasses. A
small sip tastes like rotten meat and clotted blood.

16 – Angel
Lymph - If you succeed a
save (wisdom, spell) you acquire a celestial power or attribute
(regeneration, at will power, great charisma, etc.) for incorporating
the lymph into your own body, but you are forever marked with a
supernatural aura. If you fail the save a greater angelic being
begins to manifest within and around you and will eventually consume
your body and spirit as it reforms its own. Looks
like bunches of dozens of tiny membranous yellow lights floating in a
cloudy white liquid. Smells like light wine. A
small sip tastes like liquid baklava.

17 – Magical Intensity
- Any spells you cast with a variable component have that component
maximized. Lasts three rounds. Looks
like layers of chocolate pudding. Smells like gunpowder. A
small sip makes your fingers twitch, and gives you a feeling of
building magic within you.

19 – Vicious Visage
- Your
face painfully contorts into a horrifying grimace for the duration,
terrifying any fear-affected creature who meets your gaze. You may
cover your face to spare others. Lasts 1d6+2 rounds. Looks
like water, your reflection is always hideous within. Smells like
rubber. A
small sip is so sour you make a terrible face for a moment.

20 – Eidetic Memory
- You have a perfect memory of anything you experience for the
duration, you can make accurate maps, memorize the contents of entire
books, etc. Lasts 1d4+1 hours. For 1d4 turns after you will be
unable to remember important information. Looks
like gray mucous. Smells like a childhood memory.
A small sip tastes like rancid butter and makes you feel like you're
forgetting something...

21 – Elixir of Energy
- For one week you are nearly tireless, requiring only 45 minutes of
light sleep a day to function. You are capable of making 300%
progress on nearly any downtime type activity (spell research, item
creation, construction, investigation, etc.), but you receive no
bonuses in combat. When the effect wears off, you will remain
exhausted until you spend an entire day eating and sleeping. Looks
like frothy neon green, constantly in motion splashing and swirling.
Smells like paint thinner... and apples. A
small sip is bitter and awful.

22 – Poetry
- You may only communicate in poetic verse or song, this makes it
impossible to cast spells with verbal components. You are unable to
be quiet, and will always orate in the fullest possible voice.
Finally, adds +2 to any check involving poetry or song. Lasts 1d4
hours. Looks
like the distorted reflection of lines of black text on white, you
can almost make it out... Smells like, Spring becomes summer / the
scent of blossoms floating / stirs a deeper need. A
small sip causes you to rhyme off the next thing you hear.

23 – Ruinous Riches
- Save vs. petrification/constitution/whatever, if you fail one of
your limbs becomes an amount of gold and gems equal to its volume, if
you succeed you permanently lose 1d8 hp, which becomes a quarter of a
cubic foot of material per hp. The transmutation is clean and leaves
no wounds. Looks
like glittery golden goo. Smells like blood. A
small sip will make you spit out a diamond tooth, or slough off a
nacreous fingernail.

24 – Vomitous Birth
- In 1d4 rounds you violently and uncomfortably spew forth 1d6
creatures, one per round. The creatures are bizarre, misshapen and
unfinished in appearance, every one different, some may resemble you
in a small way. They begin as single hit die creatures and grow one
hit die per round for two rounds. They are non-intelligent and do
not take orders, they will attack anything that attacks them or you
first. Otherwise they will remain near you (like ducklings) unless
driven off. Looks
like many grape-sized, spheres of clear jelly, with pulsing dark
nuclei. Smells like a terrarium.
A small sip tastes like ham and oatmeal and makes your stomach
loudly growl.

25 – Worthless Corpse
- As per 'Veins of the Earth'. Lasts 1d8 turns. Looks
like gray and white-yellow dust. Smells like moldering corpses. A
small sip tastes like ashes, makes your cheeks sink and your skin
turn grayish for a few minutes.

26 – Forgetfulness
- You forget the last 1d4 (infinitely exploding) days. Looks
like cool purple-blue swirls. Smells like something you've smelled
before but can't put your finger on. A
small sip makes you forget what the potion tastes like.

27 – Delicious
- Drinking the entire potion is the greatest gastric event of your
life, you will be unable to move, take any action, or even properly
think for 1d6 rounds (injury will restore sense), it is that good.
All other food and drink will be pale and disappointing compared to
the Delicious potion, and you will do anything to acquire more if you
are convinced it exists somewhere. If you refuse to pursue more of
the potion you are aware of, you suffer -2 to all rolls as your every
thought is corrupted by daydreams of it. Looks
like sparkling water ever so slightly tinted pink. Smells like
nothing. A
small sip is potentially worse than drinking the whole thing... save
(wisdom, spells) or you are still addicted AND you're still carrying
a bottle of the stuff that you are now madly possessive of. Absolute
worse case: everyone in party gets a sip.

28 – Cerebral
Parasite
– This potion is a growth/collection medium for a kind of astral
parasite, drinking it removes many of your astral mindform's natural
defenses, creating a perfect place for an Endless Astral Worm to lay
an egg. The egg will fuse with your astral mindform, begin to absorb
it, and grow. You will become more and more intelligent, less
charismatic and gain up to two bonus wizard spell casting levels over
the next 1d6 months before permanently transforming into an illithid
(your character is forever lost). Looks
like clear light green gel. Smells like minty bleach. A
small sip makes you feel ambiguously vulnerable for a moment.

29
– Space Hands
- Your hands become as a gray clear crystal that reflects no light,
for the duration they are completely indestructible. Once per round
you may reach a hand through the dimensions and pull out something
(gonna need a whole other table for this) random, some will be
held/wielded some thrown into this dimension. If you succeed an
unarmed attack on a foe you may initiate this power within their
body, dealing 1d10+4+damage modifier and any damage appropriate to
the random object. Lasts 1d4+2 rounds. Looks
like a layer of deep blue on the bottom and a layer of bright orange
on top. Smells like a catcher's mitt. A
small sip makes you want to punch a wall.

30 – Liquid Tool
- These come in a variety of forms: (3) tents and a stocked campsite,
a battering ram, a siege tower, a covered wagon, (30) iron swords, a
great pile of climbing gear, (5) highly unpredictable firearms and
(60) uses of ammo and powder, etc. Looks
like it's crammed full of wood or cloth or metal. Smells like wood,
cloth, metal, gunpowder. A
small sip makes you spit out some unraveled rope, a small chunk of
iron, splinters, etc.

31 – Undeath
- You die, swiftly and painfully. If you are 4th
level or lower, you return as a mindless form of undead. If you are
5th
level or higher, you return as an intelligent form of level
appropriate undead. Looks
like black oil. Smells like mold. A
small sip hurts you deep inside, save (constitution, poison) or a
random internal organ dies and returns to functionality as an “undead
organ”, the character is unaware. The organ functions well enough,
but can be turned/destroyed and creates all sorts of problems for
clerics/paladins.

32 – Immacula's Elixir
- Heals all damage, poisons, diseases, regrows any lost organs or
limbs, erases scars, restores lost levels. For the next 1d4 turns,
your status cannot be affected (you cannot be petrified, poisoned,
diseased, put to sleep, etc.) and any wound received immediately
heals. If you are older than prime physical age, you grow younger
1d20 years. Looks like
shimmering rainwater with a green glowing seed inside. Smells like
rain and young shoots. A
small sip tastes like sugar, dew, and lime, erases weariness and
quenches your thirst for a time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Been playing a bit in-setting, which is helping me grow my information in the right directions, but saps my time to post here. It all feeds the same dark beast though. Working on like five d100 encounter tables by terrain at once. Thought I'd finish one of those first, but trying to roll for random treasure in 5e just made me super disappointed and I had to fill an obvious hole. First time playing 5e... it works, I've seen worse for sure. Lot of poor design in the rule books, there are all these things I have to struggle to look up, or help new people look up because they are bizarrely hidden. The lack of summon monsters is annoying, but I always end up making my own summon monster spells/tables anyhow (I love it). Till next time, careful sniffing that philter.